


DestinyCon

by Skyelo_Ren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Actor Ben Solo, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Ben Solo is a nerd, F/M, I cannot stress how big a nerd he is, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 01:13:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20648783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyelo_Ren/pseuds/Skyelo_Ren
Summary: Rey is a lifelong fan of The Sword of Destiny, a cult 70s TV series starring the legendary Luke Skywalker as Prince Ren. Now the series is being rebooted for the big screen, but Rey absolutely hates the fact that Luke’s nephew Ben Solo has been cast as the new Ren. When she and her friends travel to DestinyCon 2019 Rey is determined to make her opinion known to everyone she meets, including the mysterious guy in full cosplay that seems to keep popping up wherever she is.





	DestinyCon

“All I’m saying is that Solo wouldn’t be anywhere near this film if he didn’t have the family connections. He doesn’t look anything like Ren, for starters. He could never bring as much heart and dignity to the role as Luke did. He doesn’t have the… what’s it called, when actors are good at all the emotions?”

“Range,” Rose supplied, yawning.

“Right,” Rey nodded fiercely, her cheek scratching against the embroidered pillowcase. “No range at all, that Ben Solo.”

Rose blinked sleepily at her from the other side of their king-sized hotel room bed. “Have you ever even seen him in anything else?”

“No. That’s not the point. I can tell by his face. His… weirdly-proportioned face. Which has _none_ of the classic beauty of a young Luke Skywalker, a.k.a. the only actor on the planet who was ever worthy of playing a character like Prince Ren.”

Rose groaned and tugged at the covers, even though Rey was pretty sure she already had access to half of the duvet. “Rey. I agree with you, you know that. And I love you with all of my heart and soul. But it is _four thirty in the morning_ and I am _jetlagged_.”

“You are not jetlagged. It was a one hour flight. We’re still in the same timezone.”

“_Jetlagged_!” Rose shrieked as she rolled onto her stomach and dragged a pillow over her head.

Rey rolled over too, kicking uselessly at the sheet where it bound the lower half of her legs. Why were hotel beds always so constricting? She managed to loosen the side and began to work on the bottom corner, but --

“Stoooooopppppppp,” Rose’s muffled voice pleaded.

“Sorry. I’m going to get up anyway. I want to get started on my makeup.”

Rey knew that she was going a bit overboard. No one did full cosplay on the first day of con (at least that’s what her Holonet timeline had told her, every year that she had sat at home watching from afar). But this year was the first time that she had even been able to imagine affording a ticket, so she wasn’t going to waste a single minute. Sword of Destiny was _everything_ \-- literally, there was a time in her life when it felt like this show and these characters were all she had. She was determined to have the best long weekend of her life.

So she popped her earbuds in, cranked the soundtrack, and painted her face until it was the best approximation of Princess Kira’s that she could manage.

Two hours later Rey and Rose (who had opted, at the last possible minute, for an old ‘Choose Your Destiny’ tee and a messy ponytail) were huddled together against the chill morning air outside the convention center. To Rey’s dismay, there were approximately three trillion people ahead of them.

“Yeah, maybe we should have come a bit earlier,” Rose shrugged.

“But the instructions _clearly stated_ that no lining would be allowed before six a.m.! I checked again last night.” Rey adjusted her faux-emerald necklace in a huff. “These people all broke the rules. They should be forced to go to the back of the queue.”

“It happens every year,” Rose lamented. “It’s the eternal question: do you want sleep, or do you want to get onto the exhibition floor twenty seconds before everyone else?”

“Floor,” Rey said. “From now on, we always choose the floor!”

Their phones chimed, and the girls reacted automatically: Rey fishing through her voluminous skirts for the secret pocket she had installed, and Rose reaching casually into her jeans.

It was the group chat.

_Finn: Where are you guys??_

_Finn: We’re on milton st. Is that close? How do we find you?_

_PoeD: were lost but we got bfast burritoooooosss_

There followed, in quick succession, an artsy black and white photograph of Poe posing with a half-eaten burrito, and a selfie of a beaming Finn holding up a paper bag with _StarMaz_ printed on the side.

Rose laughed quite a bit louder than the exchange deserved, while Rey typed back: _We’re at the convention center. It’s the big building with ‘convention center’ written on it, that everyone in the city is walking towards._

“I think I know where they are. It’s not far.” Rose stood up on her tiptoes, which didn’t do much at all to help her see over the crowd. “This line isn’t moving anytime soon. I’ll go grab them. We’ll be back in five, tops. Oh…” She turned to the person in line behind them. “You don’t mind, do you? If I grab our two friends and bring them in line?”

“Actually…”

Rey looked over her shoulder at the sound of the deep, distorted voice, and blinked in surprise. Now that she had noticed the man behind them, it seemed impossible that she had spent such a long time _not_ noticing him. He was covered head to toe in a screen-realistic King Vader costume, complete with his famous battle helm.

She turned to examine him fully, and -- she couldn’t be sure, because his eyes were hidden, but judging by the way his helmet dipped and bobbed up again, she thought maybe he was examining her own costume.

“Actually, that’s fine,” he said. He spoke slowly, perhaps realising that the helmet made it a bit hard to hear him. “I’ll keep your place.”

“It’s cool, Rey will stay behind to hold it,” Rose volunteered on her behalf. “Be right back,” she added to Rey.

Rey chuckled awkwardly as she was left alone with Vader Guy. “Thanks.” She was tempted to turn right back around and review her plan for the day, again. But she had read once that long lines were a good opportunity to meet fellow con-goers. So she said: “I like your costume.”

“Thank you. I like yours.” He paused. “Rey.”

“Thanks,” she said again. “Is this… your first time?”

“No,” he said, and now he was talking at a normal speed. “My family has been coming here every year since before I was born.”

“That’s really cool. It’s my first one. Rose -- my friend, that you met -- she’s been to a couple.”

“Ah. Have you been a fan long, or did you discover the show when they announced the reboot?”

Rey tried so _so_ hard not to roll her eyes. Is this what it was going to be like, all weekend? “I’m a fan. I was _raised_ by Sword of Destiny. I just haven’t been to a con before.”

“Well, welcome.”

“Thanks.”

And so ended their conversation, apparently. Rey shifted uncomfortably, tempted to turn back to the front of the queue, but it would be too awkward now that they’d started talking. She didn’t usually have a problem with silences -- she’d spent enough time on her own to get used to them -- but it was unnerving when you couldn’t read the body language of the other person. He stood neutrally in his costume, and his face was completely hidden.

“You’re excited, though, about the new films?” he said after a minute.

Rey made a contemplative face. “I’m nervous, mostly. I just really want them to do it _right_. And already the casting is a bit…” She trailed off meaningfully.

“A bit..?” He prompted, sounding eager suddenly.

“A bit… _awful_. Like this Ben Solo guy? As _Ren_? Really?” She leaned toward him, her passion for this particular topic animating her. “He looks nothing like Luke Skywalker, even if they’re related. Just… there are so many fans out there, I wish they’d get people who really _care_ to be involved. Think how good it would be.”

Vader Guy tilted his head. “What makes you think they haven’t gotten people who care? I heard Ben Solo is actually a big fan of the show.”

Rey smiled at him pityingly. “Of course, they have to pretend like he is. But you must know how he really got the role. The entire Skywalker family is involved with the studio. You can read about it on SODNet, if you don’t know.”

“I try not to read gossip,” he said coolly.

“It all comes from somewhere,” she insisted.

Her phone chimed again.

_Rose: WE FOUND ANOTHER DOOR THEYRE LETTING PEOPLE IN GET HERE PRONTO_

Rey trilled with excitement, then hastily looked around her to make sure no one else had noticed her reaction. She looked up at Vader Guy dubiously. He was kinda weird, but it had been really nice of him to allow her friends to cut in line (which was definitely against the rules that Rey had read over and over). She could repay him by sharing the secret.

“Hey,” she whispered conspiratorially, “my friends found another way in.” She glanced back down at her phone screen, which was hastily filling up with directions and exclamations. “On the south side of the building. Want to come? Skip this line? Just don’t tell anyone else until we’re through, okay.”

He leaned forward, and she wondered if he was even able to see the screen through his helmet. She pointed it in his direction anyway, showing the proof of her claims.

“Thank you for the offer. But I can get in with this.” He reached down to a fold on his belt and flashed her the card that he had tucked inside.

Rey gaped. “You… have a VIP pass. To DestinyCon. And you’re _standing in line_? Are you crazy?”

He shrugged, and when his shoulders lowered she noticed that they were rounded slightly. Like he’d been hunched all this time, concealing his true height. “I thought I’d try this way. Something different.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “You’re a very strange guy, uh… sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

He hesitated. “Matt. My name is Matt.”

“Okay. I’m gonna go check out that other door. I’ll see you, Matt. Or someone who looks like you, anyway.” She grinned and waved.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't write modern AU, ever, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone.


End file.
